Wednesday, October 16, 2013

Dan Moser Column: We expect a TIGER to roar

This week's Moser column highlights the new bike/ped/transit facilities that Lee County will be getting as part of the federal TIGER grant recently awarded to the Lee MPO, and what's required of our local government and community to successfully implement these improvements. Dan also focuses on the importance of transit services to realizing the goals of this grant.The
Lee County Metropolitan Planning Organization was recently awarded a
$10.4 million Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery, or
TIGER, grant. The money will go a long way toward making our roadways
safer for bicyclists and pedestrians. There is now work that is required
of our local government and community in order to implement those
improvements, and there are traps that could hinder us.

In 2011 our collective communities, through the Lee Metropolitan
Planning Organization, developed and adopted a bicycle and pedestrian
master plan that includes all of our county’s important transportation
corridors. Bike/ped conditions along and leading to those corridors were
then evaluated and inventoried to identify needs, including major
problem areas, access to transit and even minor gaps. In other words,
the group sought to answer whether there are adequate accommodations
that allow one to get from point-A to point-B safely and efficiently by
bike or foot, and if not, what improvement(s) would make that possible?
Also, within the plan’s recommendations are three demonstration projects
that would have maximum impact when implemented, two of which are the
focus of the TIGER grant.

The Tour de Parks Route is a 35-mile loop connecting Lakes Park, Yarbrough Linear Trail Park, Lee County Sports Complex
(Hammond Stadium, home of Twins and Miracle baseball), Calusa Nature
Center, North Colonial Linear Park, and Jet Blue Park (home of Red Sox
baseball). Much of the route is in place, at least the pathway
elements, but on-road features, intersection fixes and marking and
signing routes are part of the proposed improvements.

University Loop, the other included route, is so named because FGCU
is a key destination within it, although not the only popular location
that’s part of it. Southwest Florida International Airport, Gulf Coast
Town Center and Three Oaks Park are some others. This route is important
because it links FGCU to the rest of Lee County, providing students,
faculty and staff with alternatives to driving, something that will save
both commuters and the school money (FGCU has already spent way too
much on parking garages and surface lots). Like Tour de Parks, much of
the infrastructure is in place, but there remains plenty of work to be
done to make it safe and accessible enough for it to be an attractive
option to getting behind the wheel.

The third element of the grant is the Bi- County Connector. It
focuses on improving access to and for transit stops that link Lee
County to Collier County. Sidewalks and bus-stop shelters along 22 miles
of this route are the primary improvements that the grant money is
intended to cover — improvements that are sure to attract even more
riders to the very popular LinC bus route between counties, as well as
LeeTran routes in the south Fort Myers, Estero and Bonita areas.

Because of this grant’s focus on transit, it’s hard to understand how
or why service has been cut for the new fiscal year — an action that
could potentially reduce available TIGER funds. Besides winning awards
for its performance, LeeTran set a record for ridership, logging more
than 4 million trips in the last fiscal year, equating to an 8.6 percent
increase from the prior year and a 35 percent increase over the past
three years. That’s impressive. Any possible loss of TIGER grant money
not included, the budget reduction that was approved by Lee County
commissioners saved a whopping $117,000 but cost us more than $400,000
in lost grant money and fare revenue, put four bus drivers out of work,
and will adversely affect thousands of transit users when the service
cutbacks go into effect in November (some who may also lose their jobs
because of the cuts). Pretty bad decision, no matter how it was
justified.

The bottom line for Lee County residents and visitors is that there
will be more options for getting around by bike, on foot, and by
transit, whether out of necessity or for recreational fitness. Access to
Cape Coral (which will soon have 90 miles of connected routes, thanks
to a public-private partnership), Lehigh, and the beaches of Sanibel and
North Fort Myers will be easier and safer. Even parts of the county
where the improvements will not be made benefit because any funds that
may have been available to complete our Bike/Ped Master Plan
demonstration projects, which are a high priority, are now available for
other needs that have also been identified in the plan.

Finally, for us to actually make this happen, the same level of
collaboration and cooperation as went into the three-attempt application
process must also occur in the implementation stage. We’ve got less than
a year to have all of the construction plans and contracts in place,
then two more years to complete the work. It’s a use-it-or-lose-it deal,
so everyone needs to be on the same page and working together. That
also means bringing LeeTran service levels back to and even better than
before the recent cuts. We also need to ensure that LinC, our bi-county
bus route, continues to operate after the grant funding that’s making it
possible now runs its course. FGCU, which this year backed out of
funding its share of the route that serves it, must also come back to
the table and embrace transit for the sake of its own bottom line and to
help its students and staff save money as well. For much more on the
TIGER grant, check out BikeWalkLee’s blog as well as Lee MPO’s website.

Until next time, I’ll look for you on the roads and trails.

—
Dan Moser is CyclingSavvy instructor/ trainer and program director for
Florida Bicycle Association who cycles, runs and walks regularly for
transportation, recreation and fitness. He may be contacted at dan@floridabicycle.org and (239) 334- 6417.

About BikeWalkLee Blog

This is the official Blog for BikeWalkLee.org. BikeWalkLee is a community coalition raising public awareness and advocating for complete streets in Lee County -- streets that are designed, built, operated and maintained for safe and convenient travel for all users: pedestrians, bicyclists, motorists, and transit riders of all ages and abilities.